MENDS a„a FOES I' 
of>yilD LIFE ^' I 



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PUBLISHED BY 
THE CONSERVATION COMMISSION 
STATE OF NEW YORK 



ClNC WALKIR 



HEIPVILDIIFE 

JO DO ITS BIT 




BIROS HAKE AGRICULTURE P&IRBLE 

By Killing Insect and Rodent Pests, They Save 
Crops Enough to Feed Our Army Over There 

FISH AND GAMeIuFnISH FOOD 

THOUSANDS OF TONS ARE TAKEN ANNUALLY 



Conservation Laws are designed to make Fish, Game 

and Birds more abundant and are vitally necessary 

for National Welfare 



THE MAN WHO ILLEGALLY TAKES GAME OR FISH OR 

KILLS BIRDS DECREASES FOOD RESOURCES AND 

DEFRAUDS HIS COUNTRY 



REPORT VIOLATIONS TO THE NEAREST GAME PROTECTOR 



CONSERVATION COMMISSION. ALBANY 



FRIENDS AND FOES OF 
WILD LIFE 



A Discussion of Certain Predacious Birds 
and Animals from the Standpoint of 
the Sportsman, Trapper and Farmer 



By 
CLINTON G. ABBOTT 

Confidential Secretary and Editor 




STATE OF NEW YORK 

CONSERVATION COMMISSION 

ALBANY 



A - 




STATE OF NEW YORK 



CONSERVATION COMMISSION 

( !ki)1{(;i.: D. PiiATT Connin'xsionrr 

Alexaxdek Macdoxald Drpiitfi Connnissioner 

Warwick S. Carpentkf Sccrcfarii 

Marshall McLean Counsel 



DIVISION OF FISH AND GAIME 

Llewellyn Lecce Chief 



n. of D, 

'UN 20 1919 



ALBANY 
.1. H. L^ON COMPANY, 
19 19 



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P r 
I x^/,- '2.; u ; 5 ' < ^tij-rvs 



THE BLACK LIST 



rklflOH TAdflrJ 



>^OITAVfla2H03 T2HIAOA viHOW TAHT 2JAMIt^.A QUA aOHia 



1. COMMON CROW 



2. COOPER'S HAWK 
First year female 

Adult male 



4. SHARP-SHINNED HAWK 
Adult female First year male 



7 RED SQUIRREL 



5. GREAT HORNED OWL 



9. HUNTING HOUSE-CAT 



3. GOSHAWK 

First year Adult 



6. WEASEL 



8. RED FOX 



BIRDS AND ANIMALS THAT WORK AGAINST CONSERVATION 



FRIENDS AND FOES 
OF WILD LIFE 

Damage Done by Vermin 

" Verniiii," with all the coiitempt that the word implies, is a 
name which only within eomparativel.y recent years has come to 
be given in this country to the various kinds of birds and animals 
that ])rey u]>on useful wild life. Borrowed originally from the 
vernacular of English gamekeepers, it is now generally miderstood 
in America to apply to foxes, weasels, rats, hunting house cats, 
red squirrels, certain kinds of hawks and owls, crows, black snakes 
and other creatures that make their livelihood by the sacrifice of 
their more valuable and attractive neighbors. 

Eveiy intelligent movement for the protection of insectivorous 
birds, game l)irds and game animals has recognized the importance 
of holding vermin in check; in fact the success of such protection 
may usually be measured by the extent of the campaign against 
vermin. In England, for instance, where thousands of private 
gamekeepers are ever alert for an opportunity to nail uj) another 
cat's tail or crow's head in their " larder " of vermin trophies, the 
stranger is at once struck by the great abundance of song l)irds, 
and by the amazing quantity of game which it is possible to take 
in a single day. On the other haml, in many a neglected region in 
America, vermin have had things their own way for so long that 
many of the valuable tlenizens of wood and field have been reduced 
almost to the point of extermination. 

The Conservation Commission is entirely awake to the vital 
im])ortance of unstinting warfare upon '"vermin," if a plentiful 
sujjply of game and other useful wild life is to continue. On the 
back of every hunting and trap])ing license issued in the year 1919 
is printed in large letters the slogan: "Enlist in the Campaign 
against Vermin," together with the words, "Shoot all you can of 
foxes, cats hunting ])rotected birds, harmful hawks, red squirrels 
and other enemies of useful wild life. You will benefit both the 
game and your own sport." Furthermore, in the tally card with 
which each sportsman is i)rovided for the ])ur})ose of recording what 
he takes during the year, the list of vermin is given a ])lace as promi- 
nent as that occupied by game and fur-bearing aniujals. 

3 



4 State of New Yokk — Coxservation Commission 

In iuUlition, oiu' hundred of the State i;anie protectors liave been 
provided during the hist year with ^S-i^O Winchester rifles, which 
they are instructed to carry with them at all times when in the field, 
and to use for the reduction of vermin whenever o])portunity oft'ers. 
At the same time, there was sent to each protector the following 
list of vermin and other undesirable creatures, to which he was 
directed to confine the use of his rifle: 

Lynx Crow 

Bol)cat English sj)arrow 

Hunting house cat Starling 

Red fox Sharp-shinned hawk 

Gray fox Coo])er"s hawk 

Red squirrel Goshawk 

Weasel Great horned owl 

House rat Great gray owl 

Porcupine Snowy owl 

Woodchuck 

Every protector is required to rej^ort to the Commission the 
numl)er and kind of vermin which he kills each month, and the 
record to date is a good one. But a force of some 1'2.) game pro- 
tectors, scattered over the State, each patrolling a territory averaging 
about 400 square miles, can luirdly be expected to cause extensive 
diminution of vermin, no matter how conscientious they are in the 
work. Every s])ortsmau, every farmer and everyl^ody else who be- 
lieves in the conservation of useful l)irds and animals, must enlist 
in the campaign and do his share. Only by such active cooperation, 
year in and year out, can a definite check be put upon these harm- 
ful creatures and lieneficial results to desirable wild life be ett'ected. 

What lias liecome of the rutted grouse, the noblest game h'lrd of the 
east? Certainly the alarming decrease in the numbers of the much 
loved "partridge" cannot be attributed to sportsmen, who take only 
a small number during the limited hunting season and could never 
have brought the birds to their jjresent low el)b. As part of a 
systematic investigation of this pr()])lem, the New York State Con- 
servation Commission in 1917 sent a questionnaire to every game 
protector, every forest ranger and every sportman's organization 
in New ^'ork State, one question in which inquired into the chief 
causes of the birds' decrease. Altogether, '-270 replies to the question- 
naire were received by the Connnission, and although the returns 
from the ])rotectors and rangers were tabulated separately from 
those of the sjxjrtsmen, both groui)s not only named the same four 



Friends and Foes of Wild Life 5 

causes as having the greatest l^earing on the decrease of the birds, 
but also pUiced them in the same order of importance, namely, 
(1) foxes, ("i) bad nesting seasons, (3) hawks, and (4) common cats. 
It is very significant that three of these four causes point the finger 
of blame at some form of vermin. Many other concrete instances 
of the depredations of vermin might be cited; but they are unneces- 
sary. Every sportsman and every farmer is well aware that vermin 
must be kept in check. 

Bounty System Undesirable 

Many states offer bounties for evidence that predacious creatures 
have been killed. Under present-day conditions in New York 
State, however, the institution of a bounty system would be of little 
or no benefit. The skins of the more destructive four-footed vermin 
already have a definite market value, and, with a prime fox pelt 
worth from twenty to twenty-five dollars, and even a weasel's skin 
bringing a dollar or more, the small bounty which the State could 
pay would hardly prove an incentive to more captures. In the case 
of birds, there is always danger under a bounty system that useful 
species will be sacrificed. All hawks and owls are not harmful, 
but, where there is a chance for a bounty, little distinction is likely 
to be made. 

In fact in any cami)aign against vermin, the chief problem is 
whether the desirable characteristics of a certain creature of question- 
able habits more than outweigh the undesirable characteristics. 
For instance, the skunk, the mink and the raccoon undoubtedly do 
great damage to game birds and poultry; but the State Legislature 
has ruled that their value as fur-bearers is more important than 
their depredations as vermin, and it has therefore granted them 
protection throughout the greater part of the year (except in the 
case of skunks which are actually injuring property). On the other 
hand, foxes, both red and gray, are so exceedingly destructive of 
wild life that, in spite of the value of their fur, they are regarded 
as outlaws the year round. 

Similarly, among birds, the barred owl may seize an occasional 
young partridge, although the bulk of his diet consists of destructive 
rats and mice. The balance is in his favor, and he is therefore 
protected in New York State at all times. But the great horned 
owl, whose meals consist largely of game and poultry, may be shot 
at any season. 

The species whose records are overwhelmingly bad are surpris- 
ingly few; in other words, it is only a few kinds of marauders that 



G State of Xew York — Conservationt Commission 

are taking the present large toll of useful birds and animals. It is 
upon these few that a eoncentrated fire should he direetjinl hy all 
sportsmen, farmers and trappers. In order to emphasize in the 
most vivid maimer possible just who comjjrise this undesirable 
comi)any, its chief members have l)een assembled in the accompany- 
ing colored i)lale, which is designated THE BLACK LIST. 

Animals in the Black List 

Of ((uadru])cds, the most cons])icuous offenders are foxes, weasels, 
red sc(uirr(>ls and house eats. The depredations of foxes are too 
well known lo recpiire much comment; the answers to the Conser- 
vation Connnission's ruffed grouse questioimaire would be sufficient 
condenuiation, if any were needed. As a matter of fact, every 
sportsman and e\(>ry farmer knows only too well from his own 
experience that the fox is one of the most bloodthirsty marauders 
in all nature. In si)ite of the fact that they are widely hunted 
with hounds and beset with traps, and in s])ite of the present 
value of their ])elts, foxes seem to be on the increase, and only l)y 
more strenuous warfare upon them can these greatest enemies of 
our game l)ir(ls be kept in check. 

Method of Trapping Foxes 

The natural cleverness of the fox makes his capture in a trap 
no easy matter, and success will follow only ])erseveranee and the 
utmost care in obliterating human scent throughout all operations. 
In places where there are springs and small streams, there is no 
better method of trajiping foxes than the old water set, which is 
made as follows:' " It is best to find a spring w hicli does not freeze, 
but for early fall trapi)ing a brook will do. The rise and fall of the 
water in small streams sometimes mak(\s trouble, and a si)ring or 
small jXHid giv(>s best results. The spring sliould be at least four 
feet in diameter and should be pre])ared for the set in the summer, 
but if care is used, may be fixed up during the tra])ping .season. 
A moss covered ston(\ or a sod (according to siu'roundiugs) should 
be i)laced about a foot and a half from shore, and should rise about 
two or three inches above the water. This is the bait sod. The 
tra]) is set half way between the sod and the shor<\ and the jaws, 
springs and chain should be covered with mud. or whatever is found 
in the l>ottom of the spriiig. 

""The ])an of the trap should just be co\(>red with water. A 
piece of moss or sod should now be placed on the ])an of the trap, so 

IE. Krcps, "Tho Science III 'rr;ipi)itiK," p. 113. lA. H. Uaidiiin, Pub., St. Louis, Mo.) 



Friends and Foes of Wild Life 



7 



that it will rise an inch above the water. When ])r()])erly placed, 
this sod will look natnral and will apparently be a safe stepping 
place for the fox. The pan should be so adjusted, by means of a 
dried goldenrod stalk or otherwise, so that it will not s|)ring too 
easily. A small piece of bait and preferably also some " scent "- 
should be placeti on the larger sod. 

" In making this set the trap])er should wade up the outlet of 
the spring, and stand in the water while making the set. Do not 
touch the bank or any of the surroundings. The trap should be 








H«i5% am,"/.- ■ 



Au/»* 






Water Set for Trapping Foxes 



fitted with a chain about three feet in length, with a two-])rong 
drag attached, but most trap|)ers simply wire a stone of eight or 
ten pounds' weight to the end of the chain. The drag, whatever is 
used, should be buried in the bed of the spring. 

" The flesh of the muskrat, skimk, opossum or house-cat is recom- 
mended for bait, and it should l)e allowed to taint by remaining 
about a week in a glass jar. Two men have been known to catch 
over one hundred foxes in a season with this method, besides con- 
siderable other furs taken in the same traps, for the method is good 
for many other animals besides the fox. 

" One trap))er recommends setting the traj) in exactly the same 
manner, except that the bait sod is omitted, and the liait, a bird, 



Prepared "ticent" may lie olitained from R. L. Hayes, Hlooniiiit;clale, Esisex Co., X. Y. 



S State of New York — Coxservatiox Commission 

is fastened by means of a stick tlinist in the bottom of the spring. 
The stick must be entirely out of siuht, and the bird apparently 
floatine; in the water. Both of these methods are very good, and 
are especially recommended for the novice, as they are the easiest 
and surest mi^thods to start on." 

Weasels and Squirrels 

The tireless hunting instinct of weasels and their insatiable desire 
to kill are well known to all. They are not satisfied with suj)plying 
the call for food, but, whenever opportunity arises, kill from sheer 
lust of slaughter. They unhesitatingly attack prey many times 
their own weight — rabbits, quail and ruffed grouse falling easy 
victims. 

Of the s((uirrel family, the red squirrel is admittedly the most 
destructive, and seems to have few redeeming qualities. Dr. E. 
W. Nelson, Chief of the Biological Survey, U. S. Department of 
Agriculture, writes: " The worst trait of the red squirrel is his 
thoroughly ])roved habit of eating the eggs and young of small 
birds. During the l)reetling season he spends a large part of his 
time in predatory nest hunting and the number of useful and beauti- 
ful birds he thus destroys must be almost incalculable. The number 
of red squirrels is very great over a continental area, and one close 
observer believes each squirrel destroys '•200 birds a season. The 
notable scarcity of birds in northern forests may be largely due to 
these handsome but vicious marauders."'^ In the destruction of 
l>irds' eggs and young liirds. red scpiirrels are far more serious offend- 
ers than gray squirrels or chipmunks, the largest ])art of whose menu 
consists of nuts, acorns and seeds. 

Cats 

The toll of useful wild life taken aninially I)y domestic cats would 
undoubtedly amaze many a person who is accustomed to associate 
cats only with the warmth of the kitchen fireside. Dr. Frank M. 
Chapman of the American Museum of Natural History believes 
that there are not less than ^25,001),0()0 cats in the United States 
and that there may be twice that iunnl)er.* l^ractically all of these 
cats gain ])art of their livelihood by hunting. Even cats that are 
household ])ets are bound to indulge their natural instinct of bird 
killing — oft(Mi unobserved, at night or in the early morning — whereas 
vagrant cats, abandoned cats, surj)lus cats and cats gone wild form 



•Nat. GeoKiaplii.- May., Ma 
i]iird-LoiT, I '.102, p. 7U. 



Friends and Foes of Wild Life 9 

probably the most dangerous destructive force, wlien tlieir num- 
bers are considered, that insectivorous and game birds have to 
cope with. The wide extent to which cats carry on their dejjreda- 
tions is revealed by their tracks in the snow in game covers far from 
any human habitation. E. H. Forl)ush, State Ornithologist of 
^Massachusetts, writes of " two Maine trappers who asserted that 
as many cats as other fur-bearing animals were caught in their traps 
even in locations ujiward of thirty miles from any house or clearing."'' 
The cat nuisance can be remedied only by the cooj)eration of 
farmers and other harborers of cats in closely limiting the number 
of cats on their premises and in destroying their litters; and by 
the assistance of sportsmen in shooting hunting cats found afield. 
New York State was the first state to take cognizance of the cat 
menace to bird life in the enactment of a "cat law" in April, 1918, 
which ]jrovides that " Any person over the age of twenty-one years, 
who is the holder of a valid hunting and trapping license, may, and 
it shall be the duty of a game protector or other peace officer to, 
humanely destroy a cat at large found hunting or killing any bird 
protected by law or with a dead bird of any species protected by law 
in its possession; and no action for damages shall be maintained for 
such killing." ^ 

Birds in tlie Black List 

In a discussion of birds in the vermin class, we must first observe 
that under the provisions of the New York Conservation Law and 
of the Federal Migratory Bird Law, one may kill at any season in 
this State only the English sparrow, starling, crow, hawk, snow-owl, 
great gray owl, great horned owl, and kingfisher. Eliminating the 
English sparrow, starling and kingfisher, which, while they may be 
regarded as a nuisance in certain fields, do not come exactly within 
the category of vermin, we come to a consideration of the crow, 
which has well been ])laced by the artist at the toj) of the " Black 
List." 

Crows 

In a bulletin lately issued l\v the Board of (iame Commissioners 
of Pennsylvania' upo;i methods of combating the crow, he is branded 
as the leader of all vermin, " who destroys individually more birds 
of all kinds, more birds' eggs and young poultry than any other 
bird that ever flapped a wing." Certain it is that anyone who has 
watched the ceaseless procession of crows winging their way in the 



» "TJip Doniestif Cat," State Board of Agrifulture, Bostc 
sChap. 333, Laws of 191S, Conservation Law, §193-b. 
■ "The Crow," Bui. Xo. 3, Harri-burg, Pa. 



10 



State of Xkw Ydhk — Conservatiox C'ommissiox 



late aftcnioun to tlicir commoii roostiiiu place, or leaving' it in the 
niorniui;', has been iniinx'ssed with the treinen(h)u.s a^'ureuate damage 
that iniisl l)e (h)ne hy this army of l^lack marauders, wliose iium])ers 
seem to have no end. A jucUcious use of j)oison and the gun are 
undou))tedly the l)est cure for the crow's many ]>ad hal)its. 

It lias l>een found that crows can often ])e easily l)rought within 
gun range through the use of a stuti'ed owl. .\11 birds seem to 
haxe an instinctive fondness for tormenting owls which they may 
discover abroad in the daylight, and by displaying a large stufl'ed 
owl in some conspicuous spot and then imitating the call of the 




j4-Mi#ii«^^, 



Crows AIobbixc; a Stuffed Owl 



crow from a nearby hiding place, it is possible to gather together 
the crows of an entire neighborhood, who seem to lose tlieir 
natural suspicion in their (>agerness to mob the owl. .Vn added 
assistance in this fiui of fooling the crows is an arrangement by 
which the stulh'd owl can be made to mo\e its head and wings 
when certain strings are |)ulled.~' For tht)se who are not good bird 
mimics a "crow call"' is also d<>sirable. This is a small wooden 
instrument resembling a whistle and can be j)urchased from any 
sporting goods dealer oi- hardware store for from se\enty-hve cents 
to on<> dollar. E\-en without the help of a stuti'ed owl, skillful use 
of the crow call will often attract crows within gun shot. 



** Stuffed owls Willi this iiicrhaiiisiii inav Vu- lnuicrlit fidiii Fred Sauter, 42 Hleeckor St., X. V., and 
Von Lengorkf & Dcdnolil, I'iMi .'itli Ave, X. V. 



Friends and P\)es of Wild Life 11 

Birds of Prey 

The l)irds of prey — hawks and owls — otter a far more diffieult 
prol)lem to the conservationist who is anxions to discriminate 
between those species which are harmfnl and those which do more 
good than harm. It is to be regretted that the Conserxation Law 
of New York uses the general word " hawk " in the list of birds 
which may be shot at all seasons, regardless of the many beneficial 
hawks which inhabit the State. In the case of owls a reasonable 
distinction is made in the law, only the "snow-owl, great gray owl 
and great horned owl " being in the un])rotected class. Of these 
three, the snow owl (or snowy owl, as it is more often called) and 
great gray owl are both so rare as very seldom to be seen by the 
ordinary sportsman or farmer. The snowy owl occurs very irreg- 
ularly and only in winter; the great gray owl is practically confined 
to the Adirondack forests. The great horned owl, on the other 
hand, is fairly common. All three are A'ery large owls — the largest 
that occur in the State — and range from '■2'-2 to '•27 inches in length. 
All of the owls of smaller size are included in the lieneficial class — ■ 
their chief food being mice — and they are |)rotected by the State 
throughout the year. The only protected owl that ap]>roaches in 
size the three improtected kinds is the l:)arred owl, which is our 
commonest woodland owl and, considering the quantity of harmless 
rodents it disposes of in a year, is a friend of both farmer and sjjorts- 
nian. Unlike the great horned owl, it has no ear tufts. 

The Great Horned Owl 

Standing in a class by itself, in the damage it does to usefid wild 
life, is the great horned owl. This " tiger among birds " should be 
killed wherever fountl. Its voracious a]>i)etite, powerful frame and 
habit of hunting at night, when many of its victims are aslee]) and 
helpless, combine to make it an exceedingly dangerous enemy of 
partridges, pheasants, fur-bearing animals, rabbits and other game, 
as well as of the inhabitants of the i)oultry yard. Every lover of 
birds knows how the quail covey sleeps — in a little circle on the 
ground — each night in al)out the same spot. Let a great horned owl 
once discover the sleeping place of a covey of ([uail, and he will 
" clean them up " to the very last bird. 

The Hawk Family 

To identify correctly the \'arious members of the hawk family 
in the field is puzzling even to an expert, and it is to be expected 
that sportsmen and farmers in attempting to kill noxious hawks. 



1'^ State of New York — Conservation Commission 

and at the same time .s])are the beneficial species, will haAC difficulty 
in avoidinii, mistakes. If, however, they will take the pains to learn, 
using the accompanying plates to name hawks that have been shot, 
it will not be long before they can readily distinguish the free- 
booters of the bird world from some of man's best feathered allies. 
Whether a hawk is harmful or l)eneficial cannot })e judged from 
a few isolated acts. All hawks will eat flesh and blood, and if under 
stress of starvation or the pressure of hungry nestlings to be fed, 
a certain kind of hawk is seen to take a quail or young chicken, 
the conclusion must not be jumped at that the majority of his meals 
consist of just this prey. Fortunately we are not obliged to rely 
upon guess-work or surmises in this connection, for the U. S. Biologi- 
cal Survey has made an exhaustive study of the food habits of hawks 
and has learned what each kind eats — not from field observations, 
but from actual examination of the stomach contents of hundreds of 
hawks, taken at all seasons of the year and in [many localities, and 
sent to AYashington. Dr. A. K. Fisher, of the Biological Survey, 
has published the conclusions of these investigations as Circular 61, 
entitled " Hawks and Owls from the Standpoint of the Farmer," 
which is full of authoritative information on this much misunderstood 
subject. It may be secured for five cents from the Superintendent 
of Documents, Washington, D. C. 

Harmful Hawks 

From the data ol)tained, it may be definitely stated that with 
the exception of the very rare duck hawk, there are only three kinds 
of hawks that deserve a ])lace in the " Black List." These are the 
goshawk, the Cooper's hawk, and the sliar])-shinned hawk. As may 
be seen in the colored ])late, these three hawks are all similar in color- 
ing and shape. Tiie sharp-shinned hawk is, so to speak, merely a 
smaller edition of the C(K)j)er's hawk, which, in turn, resembles a 
small gosliawk. 

Fortunately the goshawk is a northern s])ecies and is uncommon 
in New York State except in the colder months. Occasionally, how- 
ever, when food is scarce in its Canadian home, it descends in great 
numbers upon our forests and covers, and decimates the supply 
of ))artri(lges, rabbits and i)oultry to an appalhng extent. Called, 
sometimes, " partridge hawk," ami " lihie darter," it is relentless 
and fearless in pursuit of its (piarry, little regarding the presence 
of man, and seldom failing in the capture of its intended victim. 

Cooper's hawk is In- far the most (k'structive hawk in New 
York Slate, not l)ecause it is iiKhxiihiallv worse than the goshawk. 



F'Rif:;NDs AND Foes of Wild Life 13 

but because it is so much more numerous that the aggregate damage 
it does far exceeds that of all other birds of i:)rey. To Cooper's 
hawk the names of " chicken hawk " and " hen hawk " ought 
properly to be given, instead of being misapplied to the more con- 
spicuous, but practically harmless, red-shouldered and red-tailed 
hawks. Almost every stomach of Cooper's hawk examined by the 
Biological Survey contained remains of wild birds and poultry. 

The sharp-shinned hawk, a miniature of Cooper's hawk, is 
fully as destructive to bird life as its larger cousin. It employs the 
same swift, " darting " methods of pursuit, and sometimes even 
relentlessly follows its prey on foot through the imdergrowth. Of 
107 stomachs containing food that were examined, no less than 105 
contained birds. Among the victims it was possible to recognize 
the remains of nearly fifty kinds of Ijirds, ranging from quail, 
mourning doves and flickers — which are as large as the sharp- 
shinned hawk itself — down to birds as small as warblers and 
chickadees. This hawk is therefore well named " bird hawk " in 
some districts. 

The goshawk. Cooper's hawk, and sharp-shinned hawk form the 
group of hawks whose habits are responsible for the condemnation 
of birds of prey as a class. All farmers and sportsmen should learn 
to identify and kill them whenever possible. Their comparatively 
short, rounded wings, their long tails, their characteristic flights — 
wdiich, in pursuit of prey, is low and dashing, and in the open consists 
of alternate flapping and sailing — ^and their usual silence of voice, 
all serve to distinguish them from the useful group of hawks. The 
latter watch for their prey from some conspicuous perch or while 
soaring slowly on outspread wings, and all have characteristic cries 
that can easily be recognized by anyone who takes the trouble to 
learn them. 

Beneficial Hawks 

The commonest members of this group have been assembled in 
the plate entitled THE WHITE LIST, and include the red-tailed 
hawk, the red-shouldered hawk, the broad-winged hawk, the sparrow 
hawk and the marsh hawk. The rough-legged hawk also falls in 
this group, l)ut it is so rare that, to avoid perplexity, it has l)een 
omitted from the plate. 

While classing these hawks as mainly beneficial, it is not to be 
denied that all of them may make an occasional raid upon the poultry 
yard or take an occasional game bird. But these irregularities are 
more than outweighed by their good services in waging constant 
warfare upon noxious rodents and insects during most of the year. 



14 State of Xkw York — Conservation Commission 

Red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks, w liicli are so closely 
related tlial iinmatiin' birds are didicull lo distinii,uish, are the 
splentlid, lou(l-\'oic<'d, soaring hawks, so familiar to every dweller 
in the eoiuitry, and lo which the misnomer " hen hawk "" is so fre- 
qnently applied. Dr. Fisher describes their i'a\'orite and i)rincipal 
food, as learned from many stomach examinations, to be mice^ 
squirrels, shrews and insects, with fro^s, snakes and crawfish also 
taken. 

Of the two sjjecies, perhai>s the red-lailetl hawk is sliii,htly more 
" harmful " than its red-shouldered cousin, abont 7 per cent of its 
food consisting of |)onltry or game, according to Dr. f'islier. A 
pair of red-shouldered hawks are recorded to have nested for suc- 
cessive years within a few hundred yards of a poultry farm con- 
taining SOO young chickens and 400 ducks, and the owner never 
saw them attempt to catch a fowl. 

The " whitest "' of the members of the " White List " is the 
broad-winged hawk. Similar in sha])e to the red-tailed and red- 
shouldered hawks, it is smaller in size, and less common, excei)t 
during its spring and fall migrations. It is also more sluggish by 
nature, and seldom flies far when disturbed. Insects form the 
largest j^art of its diet, and it seems to ha\e a special predilection 
for the large, juic\' caterpillars, which devom- the leaves of trees 
and vines, and are too formidable for the smaller insectivorous 
birds to attack. Snakes, frogs and toads are its second choice. 
Of oH stomachs of broad-winged hawks that were found to contain 
food upon exa.mination, .SO contained insects and "^l- contained rej)- 
tiles, frogs, and toads. Only '1 contained remains of small birds. 
Certainly, by any wholesale war upon hawks or indiscriminate 
bounty system, it would be folly to (lesti-t)y as valuable a bird as 
the broad-winged liawk. 

The marsh hawk's record is not (piite so clean. This is the 
familiar long-winged hawk, which is so often seen sailing low o\'er 
meadow and marsh. In some plumages it is gray, in others l)rown, 
but it is always easily distinguishable by the consi^icuous white 
])atch upon the iMunp. It beats tirelessly over the ground and 
occasionall\' pounces suddeidy down upon soine luckless meatlow 
mouse or othei- crealiu'e hiding in the grass below. The luarsh 
hawk does fai- more good than harm, as may be seen from Dr. 
Fisher's statement: "Of \'2i stomachs examined, 7 contained 
poultry, or game birds; SI. other birds; .")7, mice; '■2'-2, other manunals; 
7, re])tiles; '2, frogs; 14, insects; 1. indeterminate matter; and 8 were 
em])ty." 



I. RED-TAILED HAWK 
Adult 

First year 



2. RED-SHOULDERED HAWK 

Adult 
First year 



3. BROAD-WINGED HAWK 
Adult First year 



5. SPARROW HAWK 
Male 
Female 



4. MARSH HAWK 

Adult male (chased by red-winged blackbird) 

Female or immature 



HAWKS THAT AID CONSERVATION 



XWAH 



l/:0[TA:/P.3mOD aiA TAHT e>!WAH 







THE WHITE LIST 



Fri?:nds and Foes of Wild Life 15 

Last and least, l)ut coimnonest of all in the '"White List" group, 
is the handsome little sparrow hawk, so often seen standing on a 
telegraph pole or dead tree l>y the roadside, or else hovering, as 
though suspended in mid-air, i)reparatory to droi)ping ui)on its 
diminutive prey. Were it not for its oecasional weakness for very 
young ehiekens in the spring-time, the s])arro\v hawk might receive 
a " clean hill of health." But surely we nuist agree that at other 
seasons of the year it more than makes reparation for any possible 
misbehavior in the i)oultry yard, when we read the official analysis 
of .'J'-iO stomachs, wherein " 1 contained a game bird; .>;>, other l)irds; 
89, mice; l'-2, other mannnals; VI, reptiles or batrachians; "^lo, 
insects; 29, spiders; and "29 were empty." (Grasshoppers, crickets 
and beetles form its ])rincipal food during the warm montiis, while 
mice predominate during the rest of the year. 

In his " Hawks and Owls from the Stand])oint of the Farmer," 
Dr. A. K. Fisher writes of a Mr. W. B. Hall, of Wakeman, Ohio, 
" who, while the hawk law was in force in Ohio, was township clerk 
in his native village and issued 86 bounty certificates; of these, 46 
were for sparrow hawks. He examined the stomachs and found 45 
of them to contain the remains of grassho])i)ers and lieetles, while 
the remaining one contained the fur and bones of a meadow 
mouse." 

The sparrow hawk has many local names, among them V)eing 
" Killy Hawk," from the sound of its cry — KUbi-kUhi-lciUji-kUhi — 
and " Pigeon Hawk," because its flight is thought to resemble that 
of a pigeon. There is another hawk called Pigeon Hawk by orni- 
thologists, a bird of about the same size and shai)e as the s])arrow 
hawk, but with a dark l)lue or l)i'own back, instead of reddish. Its 
beneficial and harmful (lualities are said about to balance, but 
it is rare in New York State — occurring only as a j^assing 
migrant — and for this reason it has l)een omitted from both of the 
plates. 

The only other hawk which may legally be killed in New York is 
the osprey or fish hawk. This splendid bird of prey, which cannot 
fail to arouse the admiration of the onlooker, whether it be soaring 
on outstretched pinions or i)lunging with wonderful aim beneath 
the surface of the water, should long ago have l)een i)laced in the 
protected class, together with the eagles, for which it is often mis- 
taken. It feeds largely ui)on fish that are undesirable as human 
food, and, except that it occasionally takes a few good fish, it has 
no bad habits. It is i)erhaps unnecessary to add that the so-called 
night-hawk is an insectivorous bird and not a true hawk. 



16 



Statk of New York — CoNSEin atiox Commission 



Conclusion 

That the inisdceds of a few should iiol l)riiiu all birds of j^rey 
into wholesale eondeinnation must he evident to one who has read 
the forej^oinu pai^es. lie will see that with the exeeption of four 
species — the ureat horned owl, ti'oshawk, Co()])er"s hawk and sliar])- 
shinned hawk — the commoner hawks and owls are indefatijiable 
workers in the interest of farmer and s])()rtsman. But while it is 
the i)art of true Conservation to make known the beneficial qualities 
of most rapacious birds, it is equally the ])art of Conservation to 
impress upon sportsmen and farmers alike the harm that can he 
done and is done by the noxious birds iiiclud(>d in the " Black List," 
and which are \'ermin. 

Every lover of the valual)le game and useful wild life of the great 
outdoors would do well to stutly closely the creatures included in 
the " Black List " plate, to learn to know them and to set his hand 
against them. The saying " Look after the vermin and the game 
will look after itself," is a saying which has stood and will stand 
the test of time. Destrov the vermin. 




Photograph fci.i'yriglitC'l) by H. H. Cleaves, reproduceii bypermission of theXational Geographic Magazine 

The Ospkicy — a Hakmless Hawk That Should Be Protected 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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